In its typical laid-back, down low, cool and fashionable approach, Android Wear is pretty much striking fast and furious at Apple's first-ever wearable Watch in what may be a more classy strategy than what is seen in the $10,000 Watch Edition.
As a Google blog post on Monday revealed, Android Wear is staking a claim in the realm of "fashionable as well as functional" by adding a big, big dollop of "helpful" into the wearable device environment.
The post was authored by David Singleton, director of engineering at Android Wear.
"Today we’re making Android Wear more helpful as well—getting you what you need, right on your wrist," Singleton wrote. Android Wear apps will be visible as long as a user needs them, and won't be disappearing when a wrist is no longer twerking at eye level.
The goal is giving Android Wear users info they need—when they're looking for it—and tucking it away. This means saving battery power in the meantime, when Android Wear users are not looking for info.
Android Wear is also embracing Wi-Fi with its built-in Wi-Fi support.
"As long as your watch is connected to a Wi-Fi network, and your phone has a data connection (wherever it is), you’ll be able to get notifications, send messages, and use all your favorite apps. And if you really do forget your phone, you can always ask your watch where it is," explained Singleton.
Android Wear believes using apps on a smartwatch device should be as easy as checking the time on a regular watch. Developers are updating software functionality to make all that happen.
First up is the ability to flick the wrist to scroll apps, send messages and check news and notifications. With just one tap, a user can access apps and contacts. If words fail, users can draw an emoji on the screen, and the software will send it via message or text.
The functionality updates will be hitting all seven Android Wear watches in the next few weeks. First up will be the LG Watch Urbane.
Android Wear is enlisting a series of swipe, swipe and swipe again in its software update. For example, by swiping from the right, users will get a list of apps. By scrolling vertically through those installed apps, users will see a list of favorite and most popular contacts. A third swipe to the right will offer the user the most active actions.
The new wrist flick gesture feature provides control if your hands happen to be busy. Flick forward to scroll through info, flick inward (toward the body) to scroll down the stream.
While all the updates are useful and body movements efficient, the ability to tap the hundreds of emojis by a mere quick sketch is likely going to be a major feature for Android Wear users who, like all other social device fans, likely love emojis.
When a user draws an emoji, the apps try to figure out what emoji is the best fit. They then give several choices for the user to pick.
Aside from emoji access, the ability to tap Wi-Fi is likely going to be a favorite among Android Wear users. It's a feature most users have been clamoring for as Android Wear watches only had Bluetooth capability.
One caveat, however, is that the device must support such wireless network capability. Keep in mind that the LG G Watch, for example, can't take advantage of the latest wireless feature since it does not boast a Wi-Fi radio.
